Fort Worth mom questions how infant died in foster care

A young mother who had her children removed from her care following a Child Protective Services investigation is now asking how her 10-month-old daughter ended up dead while in foster care.

Author:
Todd Unger

Published:
9:59 PM CDT August 23, 2016

Updated:
12:39 AM CDT August 24, 2016

FORT WORTH — A young mother who had her children removed from her care following a Child Protective Services investigation is now asking how her 10-month-old daughter ended up dead while in foster care.

Promise Waggoner died late Monday night, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner. A cause of death is pending.

The girl's birth mother, Trynisha Huey, says she's devastated.

"It hurts because in two months she would've been a whole year. My baby is gone," said Huey as she fought back tears during an interview on Tuesday.

The mother said she lost custody of Promise, and her older sister, Erica, after coming under scrutiny for allegedly having drugs in the home, and also not feeding her child. Although Huey denies the charges, the children were removed earlier this year in the 323rd District Court in Tarrant County.

Trynisha Huey&nbsp;

A CPS spokeswoman said an email that a "...thorough and rigorous investigation" was underway by Residential Child Care Licensing into what happened at the foster care home in south Fort Worth.

Fort Worth police confirmed that the Crimes Against Children Unit was leading the investigation but cautioned that no criminal charges have been filed.

Huey said she was told by authorities her daughter was put to bed at about 7 p.m. and found unresponsive when an adult checked on her a couple of hours later.

She said Promise was born premature but that her health was now fine.

She fears for her older child's safety, who remains in foster care.

"Can I have my oldest child back? Can I have her back?" she said.

Her attorney, Oni Groves, said she's working to file paperwork that would ask for the court to revisit the case.

"This tragedy is contrary to what anyone could imagine occurring on the Department’s watch," she said in an email.